Change and Reform Delegation Kickstarts Tour on Rivals as Aoun Seeks Consensus
A delegation from the Change and Reform bloc began on Monday touring rival political parties to discuss party chief MP Michel Aoun's recent initiative, which highlights the presidential vacuum and the appointment of high-ranking security officers in state posts.
The delegation's first stop was Bkirki where it met with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.
“We agreed with the patriarch to consider Aoun's initiative serious and worthy of discussion,” said Change and Reform MP after the talks.
“The exceptional situation requires exceptional solutions,” he told reporters.
“We have a common concern to achieve national partnership,” said Kanaan.
He later pointed out from Maarab that the delegation tackled solutions for the presidential stalemate with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
“We thoroughly discussed Aoun's initiative,” Kanaan told reporters, stressing that the LF is open to all solutions.
“Aoun is serious... he gave solutions and a chance to resolve the (crises)... he didn't obstruct the cabinet,” Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, who is loyal to Aoun, said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.
The minister stressed that the FPM will not “allow the government to continue its work... by breaking the laws and constitution and illogically extending the terms.”
Bou Saab expressed belief that there is no reason for extending the tenure of military and security officials if the rivals agree that the matter is uncontroversial, wondering if a certain side “is seeking to link all the crises together to carry out a settlement... which will never happen.”
The delegation is expected to hold talks on Wednesday with al-Mustaqbal Movement and later on with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.
Ministerial sources told An Nahar newspaper that Aoun's endeavors will hit a brick wall as there are several obstacles.
The sources lamented the FPM chief is seeking to stage the presidential elections according to his terms “and it's impossible to amend the Constitution at this stage,” revealing that Aoun's allies convinced him of dispatching envoys to discuss his initiative and defuse tension.
March 14 parliamentary sources told the newspaper that the coalition will inform Aoun's delegation “the difficulty of amending the Constitution amid the presidential vacuum.”
Aoun reiterated at a press conference on Friday his ultimate rejection on the extension of the mandates of the army and police chiefs, calling instead for the appointment of new high-ranking officials.
The military posts in Lebanon are suffering as the result of the presidential vacuum in light of the parliament's failure to elect a successor for Michel Suleiman whose tenure ended in May last year.
Media reports had said that Aoun's main objective is to receive political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, who is Aoun's son-in-law, as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.
Roukoz's tenure ends in October while the term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji expires at the end of September. Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous is set to retire in June.
Aoun also told reporters that solutions to the current problems come through the election of the president by the people, a presidential referendum and holding parliamentary elections based on a new and balanced electoral law before organizing the presidential polls.
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